Be special, be unique! Be an artist!

Written by Aiva Elsina with special thanks to Amy Barton!

There are few moments in our lives when our CVs get full attention. Potential employers generally dedicate only 10-15 seconds to scan a résumé. In this brief moment, you have to capture his/her attention or at least spark a bit of curiosity about yourself, if not – better luck next time!

For artists, the process is a little bit different. Our CVs widely vary based on the job desired. If you want to be hired as a teacher or professor in a music school, your CV should contain detailed information about your education and previous teaching experience. If you want to be invited for an audition, the emphasis will be on your performing experience. Often we spend considerable amount of time evaluating the information to include in the CV for getting a job, but more often than not we neglect the importance of the performance résumé.

            Yes, yes! I mean those short biographies on concert programs listed together with the pieces to be played. We rarely pay adequate attention to the résumé the listeners are reading. Too often, it’s simply a boring list of our teachers, competitions, CDs and tours.
            First of all we should consider the concert audience as an employer. Even if the concert itself is organized by an association or some other institution, it’s the audience who evaluates our presentation, and the presentation begins before we even step on the stage.
            Before the concert the listeners take their programs, find their places, sit down and… guess what… they start to read! They aren’t in a hurry; all of their attention is on you! And I can bet we’re talking about more than 10-15 seconds. You can easily have the attention of every single listener (remember – the listener IS your employer) for 5 minutes or longer. It is a shame not to take advantage of this opportunity to show the audience how unique we really are.

            How can we make the most of this? Maybe it is time to learn from a real master!
          One of the oldest résumés known was written by Leonardo da Vinci in 1482 and sent to Ludovico Sforza, regent, later Duke of Milan.

"Most Illustrious Lord, Having now sufficiently considered the specimens of all those who proclaim themselves skilled contrivers of instruments of war, and that the invention and operation of the said instruments are nothing different from those in common use: I shall endeavor, without prejudice to any one else, to explain myself to your Excellency, showing your Lordship my secret, and then offering them to your best pleasure and approbation to work with effect at opportune moments on all those things which, in part, shall be briefly noted below.

I have a sort of extremely light and strong bridges, adapted to be most easily carried, and with them you may pursue, and at any time flee from the enemy; and others, secure and indestructible by fire and battle, easy and convenient to lift and place. Also methods of burning and destroying those of the enemy.
I know how, when a place is besieged, to take the water out of the trenches, and make endless variety of bridges, and covered ways and ladders, and other machines pertaining to such expeditions.
If, by reason of the height of the banks, or the strength of the place and its position, it is impossible, when besieging a place, to avail oneself of the plan of bombardment, I have methods for destroying every rock or other fortress, even if it were founded on a rock, etc. Read full letter here...

We can learn a lot from this résumé. At age thirty, Leonardo was already an acclaimed artist. He had painted an altarpiece for the Chapel of St. Bernard in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, and, in March 1481, The Adoration of the Magi for the monks of San Donato a Scopeto. He could list these works as achievements, but he did not. Instead of boasting about his accomplishments he chose to focus on what he could specifically provide for the Duke of Milan, and in fact his strategy was successful. He got the job and worked for Ludovico Sforza for the next 17 years. In Milan he created some of his most famous masterpieces: The Last Supper and The Madonna of the Rocks just to name a few.

If we were to emulate Leonardo’s strategy, we should try to understand what our audience actually needs. It will not be always the same thing, because the concerts are different, the target audience may vary. Sometimes you know there will be more young people, sometimes the concert will be more formal, sometimes it may be a concert-lecture. But there is something that usually remains invariable.

          All audiences, independent of the setting, have core desires: the desire to bond, to acquire a product, to learn, to defend their beliefs, and to feel. The field of music is more likely to inspire emotions, but keep in mind that at this moment, your listeners are only reading and not actually listening to music yet. The information you provide should try to form some bond between the artist and the listener or should suggest the possibility to learn something new.

          Listing all the achievements, schools, teachers, masterclasses, and competitions does little or nothing to create this bond. The average listener doesn’t know the names of the world-renowned flutists you’ve studied with, the competitions you’ve won, and frankly doesn’t care if you have toured in Spain, Egypt, Portugal, Germany, France or Greece. He doesn’t care, because he wasn’t there. It’s good to introduce to your background, but do it succinctly without creating a never-ending laundry list.

          Respond to these questions: “What makes you an artist and not just a mere executor? What makes you different from other musicians?” We all tend to believe we are unique, so try defining in words what makes you distinct. If you specialize in some repertoire, why not write how it greatly inspires you or how you felt the first time you heard someone else play it. If you write poetry, include a little verse in your résumé. Your listeners will appreciate it! If you have other artistic hobbies, mention them, or better yet, try to show a glimpse of them! If you really can’t think of anything particular, you could simply include why you love music and the flute!

Recently I stumbled upon a wonderful blog about the flute, www.thefluteexaminer.com In the About section, I read these wonderful CVs (and then I read everything else there – great blog!) These are perfect examples of résumés which make you feel close to the person in question. Reading about Amanda’s first encounter with the flute, I instantly imagined the scene and the emotion she had felt. I also remembered the first time I saw a flute. I was 4 or 5 years old and my mom was ironing my Dad’s shirts while watching television. There was a symphonic orchestra playing something -- I can’t even remember what -- and then I saw it – the wonderful, marvelous, shiny instrument. So beautiful, it was love at first sight. I am convinced there was magic in that moment, because almost 30 years later my love for the flute has only grown deeper.

          Maybe including a memory like that is too personal for a concert booklet (or maybe not… I’ll have to test it), you obviously have to tailor your CV for the occasion, but the information I read made me feel closer to this person, I felt a strong positive emotion and that’s exactly what you need to create with your audience.

          Be patient and take your time. Expressing something special in a few words can be a more difficult task than writing a long essay. Think out the bullet points you want to mention and then start to insert them into beautifully made phrases. Don’t be too poetic, it’s still a résumé, but keep in mind that wisely chosen adjectives can give the right feeling of the idea you’re expressing. Don’t underestimate how helpful a thesaurus can be! Weigh carefully the proportion of personal and professional information. As a listener I would appreciate half of one and half of the other, but maybe for you a different proportion would work better. Finally test it! Give it to your parents and friends to read. See, if they recognize your personality in the phrases you have written!

         I hope these bits of advice can help you promote yourself more successfully. Every musician is unique; let’s help the audience enjoy our performance even more by introducing ourselves in an interesting and approachable way.

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of a piece for flute solo "SOLDATINI"
by Simone Pionieri